Proposals for a new flexible and extensible XML-model for exchange of research information

1
Proposals for a new flexible and extensible
XML-model for exchange of research information

• By
• Jens Vindvad, Jens.Vindvad_at_rbt.no
• National Office for Research Documentation,
  Academic and Special Libraries, Norway
• Erlend Øverby, erlend.overby_at_conduct.no
• Conduct AS, Oslo, Norway

2
Content of presentation

• Assumptions, Objectives, Difference in structure
  and mapping between structures.
• Validation and MicroSchema
• Working model (vocabulary, internal structure)
• Namespace
• Testing of model

3
3 assumptions and 1 observation

• Internet is the driving force and preferred
  medium for international information exchange.
• Today and in the near future XML is the basic
  Internet standard for information exchange.
• Research Information Systems are based on
  relation database technology for storing.
• Validation of data exchange against structure and
  allowed values are often scarified.

4
Objectives

• We want to exchange Research Information between
  different CRIS-systems, and other systems as
  well, by use of Internet and XML-technology.
• We want to have the possibility to validate the
  exchanged data according to defined structure and
  allowed values.
• Agreeing upon a common XML exchange model, which
  can be used for information exchange, can help to
  achieve this objective.

5
How should the exchange model work

• To be able to exchange information, the existing
  data needs to be transformed/mapped into the
  structure of the exchange model. To receive
  information, data in the exchange model has to be
  transformed/mapped into the receivers data
  model. This will ease information exchange when
  sender and receiver do not share or have the same
  data model, and will also ease data exchange
  between different communities.

6
Different structures for CRIS and the exchange
model

• The CERIF standard is based on relational
  database technology, which is table oriented.
• The exchange model is based on the XML standard
  by W3C, which has a hierarchical tree structure.

7
Exchange between table structure and hierarchical
tree structure illustrated
Table structure Relational databases
Hierarchical tree structure XML-document
8
Information mapping between the exchange model
and CRIS (I)

• When mapping information between different
  structures we do not have a one to one solution.
  We have to make some choices when defining the
  exchange model, and no final answer or perfect
  solution exists.
• When building the exchange model we have used the
  following guidelines
• Data should be placed in elements, not attributes.

9
Information mapping between the exchange model
and CRIS (II)

• Characteristics and properties of data should be
  placed in attributes.
• Be as explicit at possible, not implicit. The
  implicit path can lead to situations where users
  of the model have to make assumptions about how
  to handle the information in the model.

10
The validation problem

• Normally two alternatives exist to describe and
  define the information structure or model in an
  XML document, the first is a DTD (ISO 8879) and
  the second is an XML-schema. Both these
  approaches currently have the disadvantages that
  in order to validate and check the structure of
  the information, description of the whole
  structure and all its possibilities and
  constraints must be in existence in one large and
  inflexible model, making it harder to establish
  an efficient validation of data exchange between
  different systems

11
MicroSchema

• The idea of a MicroSchema is that it should only
  describe a very small piece of information, and
  only such information as is relevant to the
  specific description. Information that is not
  relevant to the specific context is described in
  another MicroSchema.
• To be able to express the relevance and the
  connection between the MicroSchemas, we need to
  develop a standard method of enhancing the schema
  specification in order to address the valid
  elements in the specific context. Using
  namespaces, introducing the term
  "Allow-schema-namespaces", will do this.

12
Working model

• A working model limited to documentation produced
  by researchers has been build.
• Successful communication requires common wordings
  and definitions to achieve this a vocabulary
  has been defined.
• With vocabulary and guidelines for building an
  exchange model in place an internal structure has
  been established.
• Based on vocabulary and internal structure the
  XML exchange model is proposed in terms of
  MicroSchemas and Namespaces.

13
Vocabulary output and results

• The collection of all types of information
  produced by the researchers is called output.
  Outputs are divided into four subgroups results,
  communication, documentation and art.
• With the exception of art, results are taken to
  mean the results of research produced by the
  researcher in person. Examples of results are
  publications, patents and products.

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Vocabulary - communication

• By communication we want to label the forms of
  communication that researchers use in their work.
  Researchers often need to or whish to discuss
  their ideas and views their form for
  communication is not a result of their work, but
  represents interesting and important steps in the
  process of producing results. Examples of
  communications are conference presentations,
  workshops, broadcasting and interview in the
  press.

15
Vocabulary - documentation

• A researcher has to carry out administrative
  tasks and produce documentation, which cannot be
  classified as results or forms of communication.
  This can be pure administration or high level of
  professional work. Examples are reports to
  founding institution, computer programs,
  manuscripts, (thesis).

16
Vocabulary - art

• Art is not necessary output of a researchs work
  but it can be. Art can be seen as a result in
  itself, a form of communication or type of
  documentation, or all of these. Art needs and
  deserves a classification based on standards used
  and accepted in the art community. Examples of
  art are works of art, exhibitions and
  performances.

17
Vocabulary publication and five-point test.

• Publication is a commonly used word, which in
  daily use does not have a precise and distinct
  definition. To establish a vocabulary and a
  namespace, we need the word publication and
  have to give it a precise and distinct
  definition. To do this we have established a
  five-point test, which involve addressee,
  copies, location, readability and time. The test
  must be taken in the following order test
  against publication, then communication and
  finally against documentation.

18
Internal structure (I)

• Based on vocabulary and guidelines for building
  an exchange model an internal structure has been
  established.
• The basic elements of the model are HEAD,
  contents and EXTENSIONS. The core of the model is
  content HEAD and EXTENSIONS can be left out.

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Internal structure - HEAD

• Each schema can consist of one and only one HEAD.
  HEAD can be left out. In HEAD, all administrative
  data should be placed. Administrative data such
  as when the information object was created, by
  whom, and who revised or edited the information,
  should be placed in HEAD. In case of transaction
  between systems, all transactional administration
  data should be placed in HEAD. HEAD may also
  contain EXTENSIONS.

20
Internal structure - content

• Contents make up the core elements, on which the
  model is built. All the content elements could
  have been put into one element e.g. BODY. This is
  not necessary when we know that all elements,
  which are not HEAD or EXTENSIONS are part of the
  core model.

21
Internal structure - EXTENSIONS

• The elements in the basic model should be
  understood and managed by all who want to
  exchange information. A basic model with a high
  degree of certainty will not satisfy all needs.
  To accomplish these needs the model is made
  extensible. With this construction, everybody can
  easily see what is part of the core model and
  what belongs to a specific extension. All that
  make use of an extension will have to supply a
  working namespace for the extension.

22
Example MicroSchema ArticleInJournal
General identifier Occurrence Content model
HEAD Zero or one mSchema HEAD
TitleInfo One mSchema TitleInfo
Author One or more mSchema Person mSchema OrgUnit
RefInToJournal One mSchema RefInToJournal
URI Zero or one Uri
Abstract Zero or more Text
EXTENSIONS Zero or one mSchema EXTENSIONS
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Namespace - examples
Element name NS-abbr. NS-Uri
Output out root/Outputs.msc
Results res root/output/Results.msc
Publications pub root/output/results/Publications.msc
Journal jour root/output/results/publications/Journal.msc
ArticleInJournal aij root/output/results/publications/ArticleInJournal.msc
Person pers root/level1/Person.msc
OrgUnit org root/level1/OrgUnit.msc
HEAD HEAD root/misc/HEAD.msc
TitleInfo ti root/output/TitleInfo.msc
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Test of exchange model

• We have so far tested the model against CRIS data
  from BIBSYS FORSKDOK and data from the library
  system BIBSYS.
• To perform the tests we have developed two XSLT
  program (XSL-stylesheets), which maps/ transform
  the input data into the proposed exchange model.

25
Test example Input (I)

• ltpublikasjongt
• ltf001gt
• ltf001bgtr00015557lt/f001bgt
• ltf001dgtA12lt/f001dgt
• ltf001igtflt/f001igt
• ltf001jgtFO02RBRUlt/f001jgt
• ltf001ngt2000-04-03lt/f001ngt
• ltf001ogt2000-04-03lt/f001ogt
• lt/f001gt
• ltf008gt
• ltf008cgtenglt/f008cgt
• lt/f008gt
• ltf020gt
• lt/f020gt
• ltf022gt
• lt/f022gt

• ltf100gt
• ltf100agtHeimdal, J-H.lt/f100agt
• ltf100bgt02013300lt/f100bgt
• ltf100agtAarstad, H.J.lt/f100agt
• ltf100bgt02013300lt/f100bgt
• ltf100agtOlofsson, J.lt/f100agt
• ltf100bgt02013300lt/f100bgt
• lt/f100gt
• ltf245gt
• ltf245agtPeripheral Blood T-Lymphocyte and
  Monocyte Function and Survival in Patients with
  Head and Neck Carcinoma.lt/f245agt
• lt/f245gt
• ltf260gt
• lt/f260gt

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Test example Input (II)

• ltf300gt
• ltf300agt402 - 407lt/f300agt
• lt/f300gt
• ltf507gt
• lt/f507gt
• ltf509gt
• ltf509agtLaryngocopelt/f509agt
• ltf509cgt2000lt/f509cgt
• ltf509fgt110lt/f509fgt
• ltf509hgt3lt/f509hgt
• ltf509xgt0023-852Xlt/f509xgt
• lt/f509gt
• lt/publikasjongt

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Test example Output (I)

• ltoutResults xmlnsres"http//www.rbt.no/xmlns/ce
  rif/output/Results.msc"gt
• ltresPublications xmlnspub"http//www.rbt.no/xml
  ns/cerif/output/
  
  results/Publications.msc"gt
• ltpubArticleInJournal xmlnsaij"http//www.rbt.no
  /xmlns/cerif/output/
  results/publications/Ar
  ticleInJournal.msc"gt
• ltaijHEAD xmlnsHEAD"http//www.rbt.no/xmlns
  /cerif/
  
  misc/HEAD.msc"gt
• ltHEADSourceNamegtBIBSYS
  FORSKDOKlt/HEADSourceNamegt
• ltHEADIdNumbergtr00015557lt/HEADIdNumbergt
  
• ltHEADClassificationCodegtA12lt/HEADClass
  ificationCodegt
• ltHEADDescriptiongtArtikkel i
  internasjonalt vit. tidsskrift uten
  
  refereelt/HEADDescriptiongt
• ltHEADCreatedgt2000-04-03lt/HEADCreatedgt
• ltHEADUpdatedgt2000-04-03lt/HEADUpdatedgt
• lt/aijHEADgt

28
Test example Output (II)

• ltaijTitleInfo xmlnsti"http//www.rbt.no/xmlns/c
  erif/output/TitleInfo.msc"gt
• lttiMainTitle Language"eng"gt
• lttiTitlegtPeripheral Blood
  T-Lymphocyte and Monocyte Function and Survival
  in Patients with Head and Neck Carcinoma.lt/tiTitl
  egt
• lt/tiMainTitlegt
• lt/aijTitleInfogt

29
Test example Output (III)

• ltaijAuthor xmlnspers"http//www.rbt.no/xmlns/
  cerif/level1/Person.msc"gt
• ltpersPersongt
• ltpersFamilyNamesgtHeimdallt/persFam
  ilyNamesgt
• ltpersFirstNamesgtJ-H.lt/persFirstNa
  mesgt
• lt/persPersongt
• ltpersPersongt
• ltpersFamilyNamesgtAarstadlt/persFam
  ilyNamesgt
• ltpersFirstNamesgtH.J.lt/persFirstNa
  mesgt
• lt/persPersongt
• ltpersPersongt
• ltpersFamilyNamesgtOlofssonlt/persFa
  milyNamesgt
• ltpersFirstNamesgtJ.lt/persFirstName
  sgt
• lt/persPersongt
• lt/aijAuthorgt

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Test example Output (IV)

• ltaijRefInToJournal xmlnsRIn2J"http//www.rbt.no
  /xmlns/cerif/
  output/results/publications/j
  ournal/RefInToJournal.msc"gt
• ltRIn2JJournal xmlnsjour"http//www.rb
  t.no/xmlns/cerif/
  
  output/results/publications/Journal.msc"gt
• ltjourTitleInfo xmlnsti"http//ww
  w.rbt.no/xmlns/cerif/output/TitleInfo.msc"gt
• lttiMainTitle Language"eng"gt
• lttiTitlegtLaryngocopelt/ti
  Titlegt
• lt/tiMainTitlegt
• lt/jourTitleInfogt
• ltjourISSNgt0023-852Xlt/jourISSNgt
• lt/RIn2JJournalgt
• ltRIn2JPublishingYeargt2000lt/RIn2JPublis
  hingYeargt
• ltRIn2JVolumgt110lt/RIn2JVolumgt
• ltRIn2JIssuegt3lt/RIn2JIssuegt
• ltRIn2JPagesgt402 - 407lt/RIn2JPagesgt
• lt/aijRefInToJournalgt
• lt/pubArticleInJournalgt
• lt/resPublicationsgt
• lt/outResultsgt